Charlie slapped at mosquitoes as she walked. She knew their part of the island well by now. She recognized most parts of the beach, and could pinpoint the position of the camp by drawing a line between the ocean and a certain point of the rocky peak which divided the island in two. She wouldn’t find any different kind of fruit by staying on the same path—if there was some to find, they would have spotted it already. There was no choice but to leave the path and head deeper into the bush, keeping her eyes peeled for fruit hanging from the trees above. Perhaps she would even find something on the ground. She wouldn’t say no to a decent sized tree crab if she saw one and could bring herself to kill it.
Again, she imagined the pride she’d see on Tyler’s face upon her return, clutching a decent meal. She wanted to show him she wasn’t some useless bimbo. As pathetic as it might be, she wanted him to be proud of her.
Charlie stepped off the path.
A smaller track created by some animal or another led off the bigger one, so she followed it. She walked slowly, but with determination, using a large stick to swipe the ground in front of her, or to push back overhanging branches. The whole time, she kept her head craned up to check out the trees overhead, hoping to spot something decent to eat.
Every so often, when a break in the trees and foliage appeared, she checked her position in relation to the rock face and the spot where she’d left Tyler on the beach. As long as she kept an eye on her position, she’d be able to get back again. Plus, she’d been whacking at the bushes to make sure she broke the forest some more, marking her trail so she’d easily be able to find her way back.
She kept walking, but so far she’d seen nothing. Sweat poured down her temples, and her cleavage was wet and sticky, her t-shirt clinging uncomfortably to her skin. A damp triangle marked her front, and she assumed a matching dark patch would be on her back. One thing she’d also managed to forget when she’d set out on her mission was some water. Stupid of her. Tyler would never forget something as necessary as water, especially in this heat.
For the first time, a trickle of unease worked its way through her. Perhaps this wasn’t such a great idea after all. The temperature was roasting here in the forest, and she’d been silly and naive not to bring anything to drink.
Charlie drew to a stop and hesitated. She looked behind her at the way she’d come. She hated the idea of going back with nothing, but that was better than not going back at all.
Decision made, she sighed in disappointment and turned on her heel. She began to head back toward the beach, but had only walked for another five minutes before she realized the path she was following didn’t seem to be the same path as the one she’d originally taken. It was about the same size, and the foliage seemed to be the same, but none of it was broken or showed any sign of being hacked at with a big stick. Either the forest had crept back in to reclaim its wilderness—something she knew was impossible—or somehow she’d wandered onto a different path.
The trickle of unease she’d experienced suddenly gushed into a river. Her heart picked up its pace, beating fast in her chest. Should she go back? If she did, how would she know where to turn off to get back onto her original path? No, she told herself. No need to panic. As long as she kept the cliffs on her left hand side, it only made sense that the beach would be on her right. As long as she could find the beach, she would be able to find Tyler. The problem was this part of the foliage seemed thicker than before, the gaps which gave her view to the cliffs no longer appearing. Everything looked the same, and a couple of times she clocked a strangely shaped tree or a bundle of exposed roots which she needed to step over, only to think she saw the same thing ten minutes later.
Am I going around in circles?
Her panic began to build, causing adrenaline to shoot through her veins, which in turn made her metabolism speed up and left her already dry mouth parched. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, and it hurt to swallow. She blinked, her eyelids gritty against her eyeballs, and she suddenly realized just how dehydrated she was.
How stupid of her. What a complete idiot she had been. Dehydration and heat exhaustion could kill, and out here she might pass out and her body would never be found. Tyler had no idea where she’d gone, so he wouldn’t even know which direction to search for her in. She wanted to cry, but didn’t have the moisture available in her body to do so. Instead, her chest hitched, and she barked a dry sob. Not liking the sound, she pressed her lips together and forced her legs to keep going. All she needed was a small gap between the trees so she could figure out if she was heading in the direction of the cliffs or the beach. Right now, she thought she was walking around in circles.
Suddenly, the path opened out a little, and there, in the middle of the clearing, like some kind of idol to worship, was a fruit tree.
“Oranges!” she cried, her heart leaping.
Her walk turned into a run, which quickly turned into a stagger as the last of her energy drained from her body. Several of the fruits lay on the ground, but the tree’s branches were low enough for her to be able to stand on tiptoes and grab the wood, giving it a hefty shake. The branches were heavy and laden with fruit, bowed with the weight. The movement caused a number of the oranges to plummet to the ground with soft thuds. Charlie kept her eye on which had just fallen and she ran over, dropping to the ground and pulling them toward her, all in the same movement. She dug her thumb nail into the thick, waxy skin. Juice ran down her hand, and she laughed, never so delighted to see orange juice, and lifted the fruit to her mouth and squeezed.
Sweet and tart, the juice dribbled from the hole her thumb had created, coating her tongue in the most amazing taste, before running down her throat. She swallowed and then placed her mouth to the fruit and sucked. She would have eaten the pith as well, but right now she was more thirsty than hungry, and she didn’t have the patience to peel the fruit. Instead, she discarded the one she’d drained and picked up another, repeating the process until juice ran down her chin and hands, and her skin was wet and sticky with orange juice. Her body buzzed with the sugar rush. If she continued to sit here covered in juice, she would start to attract ants.
With her thirst sated for the moment, she took the time to peel another orange, and ate it methodically, separating each segment before placing it in her mouth and chewing slowly. When she’d finished, she gathered as many as she could carry, using the bottom of her t-shirt as a sling to carry them, and tried to figure out which direction she should head in next.
Something Tyler had said occurred to her. He’d talked about knowing which direction to go in because of the position of the sun. She’d sat and watched the sun dip below the horizon from the beach, so she knew the sun went down on that side of the island. It must be late morning by now, though she’d lost track of how long she’d been gone, so the sun would be on the opposite side of the island.
She tested her theory, looking up between the trees into the sky, squinting. Sure enough, there was the sun to her left. The beach must be in the opposite direction. That was the way she needed to go.
Feeling more in control, especially now she had a full stomach and a plan, she followed the most distinct path she could. She knew it wasn’t the one she’d originally followed into the forest, but it no longer seemed to matter. She was looking forward to the expression on Tyler’s face when he saw her with an armful of oranges. Hopefully, he wouldn’t have worried too much.
Sure enough, within fifteen minutes, the forest floor gave way to sand and she could hear the gentle shushing of the waves on shore. Her whole body sagged with relief. While she would never have admitted it, she had started to get more than a little worried back there.
She broke through the trees and stepped out onto the beach. She’d entered the cove several hundred yards down from the camp, close to the cliff and rock pools, so she began to walk up the sand, careful not to drop any of her prizes.
Tyler appeared at the top of the beach and began to run toward her. She grinned her welcome, wanti
ng to wave, or hold up one of the oranges to show him, but her arms were full.
She shouted at him as he approached at a run, “Hey, guess what I—” But she caught sight of the look on his face, like pure thunder, his brows drawn down, his lips thinned, his fists bunched, and her voice lodged in her throat.
Her heart picked up its pace for a completely different reason.
He skidded to a halt in front of her and grabbed her by her upper arms, giving her a shake. “Where the hell have you been?”
Oranges spilled from her t-shirt, dropping out onto the sand. Tyler didn’t even glance at them.
“Well?” he demanded. “Where have you been? What do you think you’re playing at?”
His fingers dug into her upper arms. “Stop it, Tyler. You’re hurting me!”
But he didn’t let go. “Answer me, right now. What were you thinking, just wandering off like that?”
She glared at him. “Tyler, I mean it. Let go of me right now!”
He seemed to remember himself, something in his face softening, but only by a fraction. He still looked furious, and fear and guilt swept over her in equal waves.
“I just wanted to get us something to eat. You were sleeping and I didn’t want to wake you.”
“You’ve been gone for hours, Charlie. Hours! I’ve been going crazy, worrying myself sick. I searched the path up to the pool, thinking you might have gone there to clean up, but there was no sign of you. You have no idea what’s been going through my mind. At first I thought you might have drowned, and then that you’d gone up to the cliffs to try to see the other island, and had fallen off. I was imagining you lying hurt or dead somewhere and me not being able to find you.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. She vowed never to tell him how close she’d gotten to being completely lost.
“That’s not good enough!”
“Well, it’s going to have to be. I didn’t think, and I’m sorry for that. I didn’t consider that you might be worried. But Tyler, you’ve gone off and left me a few times now to get food or water, and I haven’t freaked out on you.”
“I’m trained to do what I do.”
“Maybe I’m not trained, but I’m not completely useless either. In case you hadn’t noticed, I did find us something to eat.”
For the first time, he seemed to notice the oranges lying half-buried in the sand.
“Yes, you did.”
“So you see, I’m not some helpless little female. You don’t need to worry about me so much. And Tyler, if you ever put your hands on me again in anything less than affection, I will never speak to you again, do you understand me?”
His brow furrowed once more, but he released his hold on her. “Do you think I’m touching you in anything less than affection? Believe me, Charlie, if I didn’t give a shit about you, I wouldn’t be having the reaction I’m having.”
“Yeah, well, you need to start figuring out how to control your reactions.”
His eyebrows lifted. “Control my reactions? How about you start to think about someone else other than yourself for once, and then I’ll control my reactions.”
She spluttered. “I did think of someone else. I was thinking of you the whole time—how hungry you must be and how happy you would be if I came back with food.”
He shook his head. “No, you were only thinking about the praise you’d get if you returned with food. Stop being such a fucking crowd pleaser, Charlie. You don’t have an audience here. No one is going to report back on what a great job you’re doing, and talk about you on social media. It’s just you and me.”
Her cheeks heated in shame. Was that really what she had done? Was she so desperate to gain his approval, she’d risked her own life? No, he was wrong. He just didn’t want her to be his equal.
“I’m capable of doing exactly the same as you, Tyler. You just don’t want me to because you like to feel like the big man all the time.”
“That’s bullshit. I’m trained in survival. All you’re trained for is how to look good in a bikini.”
She started back as though he’d slapped her. “Yeah, well, you’re nothing but a pig-headed control freak.”
His nostrils flared. “I need to keep you safe.”
“By controlling everything I do? Who are you trying to save me from? Myself?”
“After today’s little display of independence, yes, Charlie, I do think you need saving from yourself. Unless you figure out how to start listening to me, and doing what I tell you to, you’re going to get yourself killed.”
“I’m capable of keeping myself alive!”
He gave a cold laugh. “You wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for me.”
Her building anger exploded from her, and she reached out and shoved him in the chest. He stepped back, more in surprise than from any strength she held over him.
“I’ll prove you wrong,” she said. “I’ll survive just fine on my own.”
“For fuck’s sake, Charlie. No, you won’t!”
She turned, leaving her prized oranges in the sand, intending on storming away from him, but he reached out and caught her by the arm, pulling her back around to face him.
“Don’t make me take you in hand.”
Her eyes widened. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“You need to be taught a lesson, Charlie,” he growled. Suddenly, the atmosphere between them changed, growing charged, but not through anger.
He stared at her intently and then pulled her to him, kissing her hard, stealing her breath. His hand reached down, finding its way beneath shorts and bikini bottoms. She gasped and they sank to the sand together, Charlie on her knees. His fingers slid between her thighs, and one of his thick digits pushed up inside her.
Charlie gasped, and her head swam in pleasure. One moment, she’d never wanted to see him again, and now a split second later, she’d allowed him inside her. She wanted to place her forehead against his smooth, tanned shoulder, but he held her at an arm’s length, kneeling on the sand opposite her. She reached for the swell now apparent in his shorts, but he batted her hand away. Instead, he used his free hand, and the palm now pressed hard against her pubic bone to pull her toward him, and then push her across his knee.
She started to struggle. “Tyler, what ...?”
“Shush. I told you I’d take you in hand.”
With a quick movement, he pulled her bikini down, exposing her naked bottom to the heat of the sun. A slight breeze cooled the wetness between her thighs, and she let out a whimper.
He stroked her flesh, his rough palm skirting over her cheeks, his fingers disappearing between the crack of her buttocks to run over her most sensitive part. She wriggled and squirmed, impaling herself further onto his finger, wanting more ...
Tyler lifted his hand from her backside, leaving her bereft for only a moment, and brought it back down. His palm hit her skin with a sharp crack. She squealed, but her inner muscles tightened around his finger at the smack, drawing him deeper.
Why am I letting him do this?
Though part of her wanted to tell him to stop, her body wanted nothing less. His palm made contact again, the sharp sting on her cheek causing her to clench again. Her hips began to move of their own accord, bucking against him. Understanding her need—perhaps more than she even did—Tyler shifted slightly, giving himself room to slip another finger inside her, stretching her. Her head hung down, her hair brushing the sand. The hardness of his arousal pressed against her soft stomach. This was turning him on as much as it was her.
He spanked her again and again, until her skin began to burn for a different reason than the hot island sun. Charlie’s orgasm built, tightening like a coil low in her groin with every smack he gave her. Her bottom jiggled with the contact, the vibrations connecting with his fingers which were now drenched with her arousal, but he continued thrusting deeper, showing her no mercy.
With a final cry, her orgasm burst over her in waves. Her eyes squeezed shut, while stars burst behind her eyelids. Her
head spun, her whole body tensed as she rode the waves again and again.
Not giving her time to recover, he pushed her to the sand, face down. She sensed his movement rather than saw it, the unbuttoning of his shorts, the clothing dropping to the sand. Then he was on his knees behind her, his hands gripping her hot, smarting bottom. She could smell herself on his fingers, combined with the salt and sea breeze. The head of his erection nudged her already swollen, sensitive part and, without any hesitation, he impaled himself inside her.
Charlie groaned at the sudden intrusion. Tyler held himself deep and she felt his body shudder, but then he began to move, thrusting hard, pushing her forward with his motion. She wedged her elbows into the sand, trying to find traction so she could match his pace and push back on him. Sensations took over as his length and girth stretched her to her very limit, little sparks of pain shooting through her as his head nudged her cervix.
Deep, he was so deep.
His breath came hard and fast behind her. His fingers dug hard into her spanked skin, causing that same mixture of pleasure and pain. His strokes grew harder and faster, their skin slapping together, and she knew his release was near. Unable to hold herself up any longer, she fell deeper onto the sand, one hand pillowed beneath her cheek. Her breasts crushed into the warm sand, her sweaty skin picking up the material like a crust. The position only served to raise her bottom higher to him, creating an inverted arch in her back which allowed him to drive deeper. Her second wave of pleasure rose inside her, and she focused on the sensations gripping her body, not wanting to let go, but knowing the inevitable was about to happen.
They came together, hard and fast, Tyler swelling inside her and filling her. The noises he made were loud and aggressive, and somehow excited her more than a man who was silent.
Dangerous Encounters: A Romantic Suspense Boxed Set Page 35